Path of Exile 2 was announced in 2019 though there haven't been many updates since the game began development. As such, it came as a surprise to some fans when Grinding Gear Games dropped the official "Ngamakanui" teaser trailer on June 8 as part of Summer Game Fest. While there were plenty of other announcements made at the showcase for titles such as Dead by Daylight and Honkai: Star Rail, the future of the Path of Exile franchise has been heavily anticipated.
When the original Path of Exile debuted in 2013, it was well-received by fans of the Diablo series and other hack-and-slash games. Some fans viewed the game as a suitable replacement for Diablo 3, especially because of its economy and trading systems. Unfortunately, the newest teaser could turn out to be a double-edged sword for Grinding Gear Games.
Path of Exile 2 Needs to Make a Statement
The new video for the top-down action-RPG is just over a minute long and showcases significantly improved animations alongside what appear to be higher-tier spells. The storyline picks up twenty years after Kitava's death and will focus primarily on the previously introduced endgame system called the Atlas of Worlds. The trailer clearly builds upon the foundations of the first game, in fact so much so that some are wondering if it should be called a sequel or just an additional campaign to Path of Exile.
Still, the brevity of the trailer combined with the recent release of Diablo 4 could mean that Grinding Gear Games may not be drawing in as large of an audience as it hoped. Gameplay from the newest Diablo is already showing the age of the first Path of Exile and while the new trailer shows promise, some are wondering if it is doing enough. After all, Diablo 4 was also announced in 2019 and received very positive reviews upon its launch.
Perhaps the next trailer could focus more on advertising the lack of fusing orbs, the latest customizable characters, and the 19 new Ascendancy classes, which is double the amount of those that currently exist in-game. These features, along with the fact that there will be eight classes instead of seven, are a few of the core reasons that the members of the Path of Exile community is hyped. The in-game footage that was shown at ExileCon in 2019 did a great job igniting excitement, but following this, the developers have been fairly secretive.
For those worried that the game might differentiate from the original too much, Path of Exile2 will retain its core gameplay and economy. The compelling world of Wraeclast and its dark lore will still be explodable at a player's will, even if two decades have passed. Grinding Gear Games also assured its community that any purchases from the first Path of Exile will be available to use in the free-to-play sequel.
Of course, there is still plenty to learn about Path of Exile 2 since it's expected to release in 2024. More information will almost certainly be coming out July 29–30 at this year's ExileCon. It hasn't been confirmed that an open beta release date will be announced, but players are still hopeful for one regardless. In the meantime, Diablo 4 players are already enjoying its endgame content with subsequent World Tier content, which could turn out to be a satisfactory grind until Path of Exile 2 though both games are unique in their own ways.
Path of Exile 2 is currently in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
